tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64278668617680091892017-07-23T15:33:34.673+11:00SUPtony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.comBlogger166125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-12448908740274106862013-07-31T11:22:00.002+08:002013-07-31T11:22:57.967+08:00MARRIAGE ADVICE I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD:<br /> Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about my divorce being finalized this week that gives <span class="text_exposed_show">me perspective of things I wish I would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had...<br /> <br /> 1) Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love. <br /> <br /> 2) PROTECT YOUR OWN HEART. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.<br /> <br /> 3) FALL IN LOVE OVER and OVER and OVER again. You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else or seal you out completely, and you may never be able to get it back. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.<br /> <br /> 4) ALWAYS SEE THE BEST in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.<br /> <br /> 5) IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO CHANGE OR FIX HER… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not. <br /> <br /> 6) TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.<br /> <br /> 7) NEVER BLAME your wife If YOU get frustrated or angry at her, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. They are YOUR emotions, and your responsibility. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.<br /> <br /> Allow your woman to JUST BE. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.<br /> <br /> 9) BE SILLY… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.<br /> <br /> 10) FILL HER SOUL EVERYDAY… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel like a queen.<br /> <br /> 11) BE PRESENT. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.<br /> <br /> 12) BE WILLING TO TAKE HER SEXUALLY, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.<br /> <br /> 13) DON’T BE AN IDIOT…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid. <br /> <br /> 14) GIVE HER SPACE… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered, and to find herself after she gets lost in serving you, the kids and the world.)<br /> <br /> 15) BE VULNERABLE… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fears and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes. <br /> <br /> 16) BE FULLY TRANSPARENT. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, to fully open your heart and let her in when you don't know i she will like what she finds... Part of that courage is allowing her to love you completely, your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.<br /> <br /> 17) NEVER STOP GROWING TOGETHER… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is if you stop working on your relationship. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.<br /> <br /> 18) DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win. <br /> <br /> 19) FORGIVE IMMEDIATELY and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. FORGIVENESS IS FREEDOM. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.<br /> <br /> 20) ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.<br /> <br /> In the end MARRIAGE isn’t about Happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come.<br /> <br /> Marriage is life, and it will bring ups and downs. Embracing all of the cycles and learning to learn from and love each experience will bring the strength and perspective to keep building, one brick at a time.<br /> <br /> These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late. <br /> <br /> But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I LOVED being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.<br /> <br /> If you are reading this and find wisdom in my pain, share it those those young husbands whose hearts are still full of hope, and with those couples you may know who may have forgotten how to love. One of those men may be like I was, and in these hard earned lessons perhaps something will awaken in him and he will learn to be the man his lady has been waiting for. <br /> <br /> The woman that told him 'I do', and trusted her life with him, has been waiting for this man to step up.<br /> <br /> If you are reading this and your marriage isn’t what you want it to be, take 100% responsibility for YOUR PART in marriage, regardless of where your spouse is at, and commit to applying these lessons while there is time.<br /> <br /> MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE : Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from you. <br /> <br /> Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about.</span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-76830831094911686502013-05-14T15:28:00.001+08:002013-05-14T15:28:50.902+08:00<div id="article"> <h2>BN’s reduced wins put spotlight on ‘war room’ strategists</h2><div class="below-title"> <ins style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 60px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 530px;"><ins id="aswift_0_anchor" style="border: none; display: block; height: 60px; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 530px;"></ins></ins> </div><div class="meta"> By Jahabar Sadiq<br />Editor<br /> <span class="quiet">May 14, 2013</span> </div><span class="caption-box" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-top: 5px; vertical-align: top; width: 540px;"><img class="left" data-cfloaded="true" data-cfsrc="/images/uploads/2013/may2013/zul-may14.jpg" data-cfstyle="width: 540px;width: 540px;" src="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/may2013/zul-may14.jpg" style="width: 540px; width: 540px;" /><span class="img-caption">File photo of BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak announcing Zulkifli (right) as the BN candidate for Shah Alam in the recent general election, a strategy which backfired on the coalition. </span></span>KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Questions are being asked about Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “war room” strategists whose plans with a substantial budget did not appear to stop the ruling coalition from losing more federal and state seats in the May 5 general election.<br /> The BN war room was tasked with selecting the candidates and advising various strategies to win the polls. It counts Rompin MP Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, PWTC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Alies Anor Abdul, Petronas director Omar Mustapha Ong, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, party information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan and former minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as among its members.<br /> “It was just a crapshoot. Their ideas didn’t work and their white list predictions were wrong,” a senior Umno divisional leader told <em>The Malaysian Insider</em> on condition of anonymity.<br /> <div class="google-adsense-inside-article" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; width: 200px;"> <div id="google_ads_div_TMI-200x200-Inside-Articles_ad_wrapper"><div id="google_ads_div_TMI-200x200-Inside-Articles_ad_container" style="display: inline-block;"><ins style="border: 0px none; display: inline-table; height: 200px; position: relative; width: 200px;"><ins style="border: 0px none; display: block; height: 200px; position: relative; width: 200px;"></ins></ins></div></div></div>The war room had stuck to its prediction of BN winning between 145 and 150 federal seats and also getting back Selangor in Election 2013 although some senior BN leaders were privately doubtful of the figures.<br /> And by noon on Polling Day, the war room had issued its “white list” of 118 federal seats it was sure to win, but some like Pasir Mas, Shah Alam and Lembah Pantai were lost, which some Umno divisional leaders said reflected the disconnect between the leadership and the ground.<br /> <strong>Poster boy of Umno’s insensitivities</strong><br /> <em>The Malaysian Insider</em> also learnt that Jamaluddin was behind BN putting Perkasa vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin as their direct Shah Alam candidate despite his controversial remarks that offended Indians about their Hindu faith.<br /> It was understood that Jamaluddin felt that Zulkifli’s candidacy would not be too much trouble as the latter had already apologised to the Indians for his remarks which he claimed were made when in PAS.<br /> But sources said the strategist did not consider that Zulkifli would become the poster boy of Umno’s disregard for sensitivities of non-Malays.<br /> <span class="caption-box" style="display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 10.5px; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 5px; width: 400px;"><img class="left" data-cfloaded="true" data-cfsrc="/images/uploads/mugshots/raja-nong-chik2-march17.jpg" data-cfstyle="width: 400px;width: 400px;" src="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/mugshots/raja-nong-chik2-march17.jpg" style="width: 400px; width: 400px;" /><span class="img-caption">Raja Nong Chik lost in Lembah Pantai despite devoting his Federal Territory Ministry resources on the city constituency.</span></span>“The most galling thing is they put Shah Alam on the white list because they thought the Malay majority there would support Zulkifli. How wrong they were,” said an Umno source, commenting on the strategy that backfired.<br /> “There are conservatives with a big ‘C’ and there are conservatives with a small ‘c’. The strategists just did a desktop analysis but did not figure that there are new voters apart from substantial number of Chinese and Indians there,” he added.<br /> He explained that the desktop analysis done by the war room contributed to the belief that BN would do well and even get back its two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008.<br /> “You can’t assume that a Malay majority seat will go back to you or think that you can share the Chinese and Indian votes and later predict you win big nationally and Putrajaya,” said the source.<br /> <strong>Outsourced strategies</strong><br /> Another Umno source noted that BN had also outsourced some of the strategy to public relations and branding experts such as APCO’s Paul Stadlen and TV3’s Datuk Seri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan but it appeared to no avail.<br /> Stadlen has been Putrajaya’s main contact with the international media while Farid had been seconded from TV3 parent, Media Prima Bhd, to the Prime Minister’s Department for the past few years.<br /> “They were spending money on local newspapers with shrinking circulation and TV stations that did not appeal to the young. What a waste of time and money,” he said.<br /> It has been estimated that BN had spent more than RM100 million directly and indirectly for the massive media campaign that encompassed print, television, billboards and online sites for Election 2013.<br /> The source, who had been involved in election campaigns since 1999, said the war room had experienced people such as Idris, Tengku Adnan and Jamaluddin but they were incapable of fighting the new media or adapt strategies to attract votes from the younger generation.<br /> “The mainstream media had blacked out the opposition but in the social media, whatever bad we or the mainstream media did, it was amplified online and made people hate us further. As it is, they don’t even read or watch what we do,” he added.<br /> <strong>Election machinery meltdown</strong><br /> Other BN sources also pointed out that the coalition’s machinery did not appear to work as well as expected, in a repeat of what happened in Election 2008, against Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) machinery that comprised grassroots members and youths.<br /> “Ahmad Maslan proudly said there will be 66,600 ceramahs but where? It was so hard to even organise one because there were no speakers of national stature or from other component parties,” said a winning BN candidate who declined to be named.<br /> “I had to do everything on my own and get people to speak in the one main ceramah I had,” he said, adding “I saw others who were just talking to their election machinery.”<br /> Despite the lack of help, the BN man said he did better than Senator Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, who lost in Lembah Pantai despite devoting his Federal Territory Ministry resources on the city constituency.<br /> “Raja Nong Chik was a minister and he had focused City Hall’s efforts on Lembah Pantai but yet failed to win. The war room thought he would so they white listed that place but you can see how fallible they are,” he added.<br /> <strong>Last-minute tactics switch</strong><br /> The BN sources agreed that the war room strategists had made assumptions without checking with local divisional officers and ground reports.<br /> “There was so much raw data coming in but not much analysis as everyone kept to themselves for fear of leakage,” said one source.<br /> “They also changed tactics without considering what had been done in the past few years on the ground,” he added, pointing out the last-minute switch for four-term Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman was one such mistake.<br /> He said that the presumed MCA candidate Jason Teoh had done some ground over the past two years in Gelang Patah “but the war room panicked like MCA just because Lim Kit Siang was contesting there”.<br /> “So, they thought Ghani can do the job but it was a massive loss as he doesn’t know the area well although his office is there. Perhaps Teoh could have done better as all he had to do was win over the Chinese voters,” said the source.<br /> He added Lim’s presence with other top DAP leaders also cut BN’s popular votes and losses in the Umno bastion state. “The machinery got frightened of Lim and just gave up,” he added.<br /> The source said this was repeated in other states where DAP had made a big push, such as Negri Sembilan and Selangor but the war room strategists did not react as they were just focused on winning more federal seats.<br /> “There was just this huge disconnect. And that was reflected in the expected results and what we finally got,” he added.<br /> <br /> </div><div class="facebook"> </div><div class="google-plus"> </div>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-50692955374752447122013-05-13T09:51:00.001+08:002013-05-14T15:30:56.211+08:00<h1 id="header"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></h1><h2>May 11, 2013</h2><h3 class="storytitle"> BN is effectively a minority&nbsp;government </h3><div class="meta">Filed under: <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/category/politics/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Politics">Politics</a>,<a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/category/pru-13-election/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in PRU 13 Election">PRU 13 Election</a> — Hornbill Unleashed @ 6:41 AM <br />Tags: <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/tag/anak-sarawak-bangsa-malaysia/" rel="tag">Anak Sarawak Bangsa Malaysia</a>, <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human rights</a>, <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/tag/malaysia-politics/" rel="tag">Malaysia Politics</a>, <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/tag/save-sabah/" rel="tag">Save Sabah</a>, <a href="http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/tag/save-sarawak/" rel="tag">Save Sarawak</a></div><div id="Content0Left_Content0Left1_contentImage"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="200" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/632/470x275xf389f4e8eb6ad2c9178e669658c98bd3.jpg.pagespeed.ic.CZHxrIN6Io.webp" width="345" /><i><b>Tommy Thomas</b></i></div><div id="Content0Left_Content0Left1_contentHeadline"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">In assessing the results of the long-awaited 13th general elections, it is imperative that one considers the actual conditions under which the elections were conducted.</span></div>Uninformed observers, particularly from overseas, assume that because Malaysia has a Westminister-style parliamentary democracy, our elections are conducted freely, fairly and in the spirit of fair play.<br />The reality is that our elections are never held as they are in mature democracies like the United Kingdom, India or Australia.<span id="more-45508"></span><br />They are rather akin to another Commonwealth country, Zimbabwe, where Robert Mugabe has been in power for some 33 years, and where the ruling party always wins because it thinks it has a divine right to rule, and will cheat to remain in power. Institutions intended to be independent and impartial have never acted independently and impartially.<br /><img align="right" alt="NONE" class="alignleft" height="212" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/631/300x212xbb14055e7a0e2730f062a940d6ccbfcb.jpg.pagespeed.ic.Jx-tbQwWSH.webp" width="300" />First, the Election Commission (EC). It does not even give the semblance of being an independent umpire in a contest between two coalitions.<br />Instead, the EC has been most partisan, always favouring the ruling BN. Bridget Welsh, a well-respected and independent scholar,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/229367" target="_blank"><b>highlighted</b></a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<i>Malaysiakini</i>, the impact of the increased numbers in the electoral roll which were out of line with historical patterns of voter registration.<br />As examples, she referred to the 21 percent increase in Bachok and 29 percent in Bukit Gantang. Apart from irregularities concerning early and postal voting of some 240,000 voters, double voting and phantom voting have also allegedly took place. Many others have already written about these flaws in the voting process.<br />Secondly, in appearing to uphold law and order, the police force had been equally partisan, and reportedly going to the extent of transporting and protecting newly-arrived ballot boxes which contained sufficient votes to tip the balance in favour of BN in closely contested seats.<br />When Malaysian voters attempted to ensure that nothing untoward like that would happen, the police brought in FRU trucks with heavily-armed police ready to intimidate civilians attempting to prevent abuse.<br />Thirdly, the mainstream media’s sole function has been to print lies and distortions while not giving any mention to any good point that Pakatan may have made.<br />Fourthly, the caretaker government gave out money and other gifts which, by any yardstick, would constitute bribes and electoral offences. Yet, nothing was done to stop them.<br />Finally, and perhaps the worst offence committed by BN, with total complicity by EC, was allowing foreigners to vote.<br />In every nation, only citizens enjoy the privilege of voting in national elections. It is part of nationhood and citizenship. Article 119 (1) of the federal constitution confines the right to vote to citizens, and they further have to comply with residential and registration requirements. Yet, foreigners were allowed to vote in the thousands.<br /><span style="color: #993300;"><b>A stolen election</b></span><br />The scandal involving planeloads arriving in Malaysia days before polling has not been credibly answered. One wonders whether any other ruling party in the world will go to the extent of what BN has done. Mugabe may have to copy BN in this trick. All those who participated in this unconstitutional and wholly unacceptable conduct are guilty of treachery and treason.<br />Most Malaysians knew that this election would be stolen. That is exactly what happened on Sunday, May 5 between 5pm when the polls closed and when the results were announced.<br /><img align="left" alt="azlan" height="370" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/632/250x370x269e8de44998f79b4795ffea1f56acbb.gif.pagespeed.ic.o2n3Eb936b.png" width="250" />The BN game-plan was to focus on about 30 parliamentary states. Winning them at all costs would ensure a return of power. Thus, they were not interested in Karpal Singh’s seat in Bukit Gelugor which he won by 42,000 votes or Seputeh where Teresa Kok increased her formidable majority to 61,000 seats.<br />Rather, the focus was on closely contested seats. In these seats, recounts were ordered, which invariably resulted in BN victories. The results were announced very late. There was always a break in the chain of evidence, that is, between the sealing of the ballot boxes after counting in the voting centres, and the subsequent recounts and final announcement of results seven or eight hours later.<br />With the benefit of hindsight, it becomes clear why in the last week before the elections when all the evidence suggested a surge for Pakatan, the Umno “war room” was confident of winning 140 to 150 seats: they had “insider information” about cheating. The evidence is slowly being uncovered and no doubt by the time these results are challenged in court in the coming weeks, the picture would be much clearer.<br />An analogy would be a 100-metre race where the BN runner is wearing the best track suit while the legs of his Pakatan rival tied together. The starter, the official at the tape, the track announcer and the final appeal tribunal are all BN-friendly. What would be the outcome of that race?<br />It is against these absolutely lop-sided voting conditions that one must at once congratulate the people of Malaysia for voting in such large numbers to ensure a magnificent performance by Pakatan against all odds.<br /><span style="color: #993300;"><b>Massive gerrymandering&nbsp;</b></span><br />Even when the results were officially announced by EC, there was discrepancy. The first announcements in the evening of May 5 placed the total national voter turnout at around the<b>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/229160" target="_blank">80% mark</a></b>. The EC subsequently&nbsp;<a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/229339" target="_blank"><b>announced</b></a>&nbsp;on May 6 that it was at 84.84%, a significant increase.<br />Does the 4% increase represent phantom voters? Set out below is a table that has been compiled from election data published on the EC website.<br /><img align="middle" alt="FULL WIDTH" class="alignleft" height="581" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/634/435x726xeb8731b34d53206c940c9fa41f9b0213.gif.pagespeed.ic.7CMOg6ukDy.png" width="348" /><br />On the assumption that the information provided by EC is reliable and trustworthy, the critical facts that emerge on our parliamentary elections are as follows:<br />1. Of the record-breaking voter turnout of 84.84% resulting in 11,257,147 votes being cast nationwide, Pakatan secured 50.85% while BN received 46.87%. Pakatan received 361,101 more votes than BN in the entire country.<br />2. Pakatan’s margin of victory is more impressive if one considers the result in peninsular Malaysia. Pakatan received 53.26% of the popular vote, while BN had 45.55%. Pakatan received 688,288 more votes than BN. Yet it won five seats less than BN for Parliament.<br />3. Pakatan’s best performances were in Penang (67.77%), Kuala Lumpur (64.65%) and Selangor (59.36%). BN did best in Sarawak (58.26%), Perlis (55.39%) and Pahang (55.18%). The two seats in Putrajaya and Labuan have been disregarded for this purpose.<br /><img align="right" alt="NONE" height="128" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/634/300x128x2c1cca70574aaea05df3fb989ee9780f.gif.pagespeed.ic.gxCmhgMYb8.png" width="300" />4. Kelantan and Terengganu are states in the Malay hinterland. Malay voters constitute at least 90% of the electorate in each state. BN secured 51.42% in Terengganu and 46.24% in Kelantan. 48.47% of the voters in Terengganu supported Pakatan, while 53.7% of Kelantan voted for Pakatan.<br />This is the best proof that BN was telling another of its big lies when it described Sunday’s result as a “Chinese tsunami”. The plain and obvious fact is Pakatan could not have received a total of 5.62 million votes nationwide if only the Chinese had supported them. Instead, substantial numbers of Malays, Indians, Kadazans and Dayaks voted for Pakatan.<br />5. Perak has an interesting story of its own. For the parliamentary seats, Pakatan received 54.48% of the votes while BN received 44.71%. Thus, Pakatan received 111,893 more votes than BN.<br />For the state elections, Pakatan also received 54.48% of the votes, while BN received 44.4%. The votes cast were 625,710 for Pakatan and 506,947 for BN. Hence, Pakatan had a wide margin of 118,763 state votes over BN.<br />Yet BN formed the state government winning 31 seats to Pakatan’s 28 seats. Only a combination of gerrymandering and outright cheating caused this massive imbalance.<br />On these facts, an objective case can be made that the BN federal government does not enjoy political legitimacy. It did not secure the mandate of the majority. It is a minority government insofar as public support is concerned.<br />It is only because of massive gerrymandering that BN has majority representation in the Dewan Rakyat, enabling it to form the federal government. If 25 to 30 of the results are declared void, and by-elections follow in a free and fair manner, the BN government may fall.<br />When the institutions which were intended to give sanctity to the voters in their once in a five-year opportunity to decide on their government failed disastrously, public confidence was shattered, both in the newly elected government, and in the institutions which allowed this to happen. This is Malaysia’s tragedy, and an awakening.<br /><span style="color: #993300;"><b>Two final comments</b></span><br />One needs more time to reflect upon Sunday’s events and their aftermath. Two comments can nonetheless be immediately be made.<br />In the second decade of the 21st century, it is difficult to believe that there are politicians in any part of the globe who question and insult the world’s great religions and the contents of the Holy Books, who call for such books to be burnt and for places of worship to be destroyed.<br />Those were the hallmarks of the Nazi regime in 1930s. The declaration of the Atlantic Charter of Four Freedoms (freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear), the establishment of the United Nations and the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, were intended to make these terrible deeds a thing of the past.<br />When Malaya obtained Merdeka in 1957, our federal constitution expressly stated that freedom of religion is an entrenched, inalienable and fundamental right.<br />Yet in the months leading up to last weekend’s elections, Umno’s propaganda tool,&nbsp;<i>Utusan Malaysia&nbsp;</i>gave such pronouncements by the likes of Ibrahim Ali wide and extensive publicity. They were also selected to run as candidates.<br /><img align="left" alt="NONE" height="220" src="http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.malaysiakini.com/mk-cdn.mkini.net/633/300x220xa51568ae21d844243d887412d1c5a27f.jpg.pagespeed.ic.OrvDvxCzRE.webp" width="300" /><br />One hopes that with the decisive defeats of Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin, Umno will respect the will of the electorate and cease such abominable conduct. Umno must recognise that we are a moderate, tolerant people who accept plurality and diversity.<br />Secondly, the youth of Malaysia must not lose heart or give up hope. Those in the country must continue to engage in the reform movement. Wednesday night’s mammoth rally was dominated by youths of all races. The experience was exhilarating.<br />The Global Bersih campaign opened the eyes of many Malaysians abroad. Millions of them are active in the social media. Thousands of them returned home to vote. You are our best and the brightest. You have the world at your feet. Your talents, intelligence and industry are recognised worldwide. You must not give up on Malaysia.<br />Stay steadfast for Malaysia. We need you to defeat BN at the earliest opportunity.<br /><hr />TOMMY THOMAS is a lawyer who had the privilege of being in Kelana Jaya stadium along with 100,000 fellow Malaysians demanding free and fair election results. Apparently, another 100,000 just could not get in.tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-26490321011792323872012-10-09T12:33:00.000+08:002012-10-09T12:36:04.884+08:00A Cowboy's Tombstone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-faxMsc2cNCk/UHOopXP1p2I/AAAAAAAAAZY/urW7EHdiKu8/s1600/cowboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-faxMsc2cNCk/UHOopXP1p2I/AAAAAAAAAZY/urW7EHdiKu8/s320/cowboy.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">Here are 5 Rules for Men to Follow for a Happy Life that Russel J. Larsen had inscribed on his tombstone in Logan, Utah. He died not knowing he would win the ‘Coolest Tombstone’ contest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Five Rules For Men To Follow For A Happy Life:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>1</b>. </span></span>It is important for men to have a woman who helps at home, cooks from time to time, cleans up, and has a job.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>2</b>. </span></span>It is important to have a woman who can make you laugh.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>3</b>. It is important to have a woman who you can trust to take care of you in all ways possible.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>4</b>. </span></span>It is important to have a woman who is good in bed, and likes to be with you.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>5</b>. </span></span>It is very very important that these four women do not know each other or you could end up dead like me.</div>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-55263348563918456252012-10-09T11:54:00.002+08:002012-10-09T11:59:09.003+08:00When justice is tempered with mercy <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><br /></h3><div class="post-header"></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2646513343296180567" itemprop="description articleBody"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnskyhTZOLE/UF8UMoCb9eI/AAAAAAAADLA/Vu7icphyWPY/s1600/Indonesian.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnskyhTZOLE/UF8UMoCb9eI/AAAAAAAADLA/Vu7icphyWPY/s400/Indonesian.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation. In her defense, she admitted to the judge that she was indeed guilty of the crime&nbsp;because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others. The judge going through the documents then looked up and said to the old lady, “I’m sorry but I cannot make any exception to the law and you must be punished.” The old lady was fined Rp. 1 million (USD 100) and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 and a half years as demanded by the law. </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">She wept as she could not pay the fine. The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million into the hat and said “In the name of justice, I fined all who are in the court Rp. 50 thousand (USD 5.50) as dwellers of this city and letting a child to starve until her grandmother have to steal to feed her grandchild. The registrar will now collect the fines from all the accused.” The court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (USD 200) whereby once the fine was paid off, the rest was given to the old lady … .including the fine collected from the plantation manager.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>WILL WE EVER SEE SUCH A HAPPENING IN OUR MALAYSIAN COURTS?</b></span></div></div><span class="post-author vcard">Posted by <span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03753358574766388500" rel="author" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name">Geronimo</span></a></span></span><span class="post-timestamp">at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://malaysianfirstlast.blogspot.com/2012/09/when-justice-is-tempered-with-mercy.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" title="2012-09-23T21:55:00+08:00">9:55 PM</abbr></a></span><span class="post-comment-link"></span><span class="post-icons"> </span> <a class="goog-inline-block share-button sb-email" href="http://www.blogger.com/share-post.g?blogID=1449728384846566082&amp;postID=2646513343296180567&amp;target=email" target="_blank" title="Email This"><span class="share-button-link-text">Email This</span></a>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-82805844516511092012-06-15T16:09:00.001+08:002012-06-15T16:12:53.078+08:00I got this froma friend in the mail Just wanted to share this with all.<div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first day of &nbsp;university our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't </span>already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?' </span> <span style="font-size: small;">I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked. &nbsp;</span> <span style="font-size: small;">She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids....' </span> <span style="font-size: small;">'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. </span> 'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.' </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.&nbsp; </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!&nbsp; There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are &nbsp;nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. I am eighty-seven years old and if I stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.&nbsp; </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.' </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.' She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">REMEMBER, GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.</div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"></div></div></div></div></div><span style="color: #888888;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #888888;"></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-19578319505829618002012-06-15T16:09:00.000+08:002012-06-15T16:10:45.624+08:00<div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first day of &nbsp;university our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't </span>already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?' </span> <span style="font-size: small;">I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze. </span> <span style="font-size: small;">'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked. &nbsp;</span> <span style="font-size: small;">She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids....' </span> <span style="font-size: small;">'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. </span> 'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.' </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.&nbsp; </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!&nbsp; There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are &nbsp;nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. I am eighty-seven years old and if I stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.&nbsp; </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.' </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.' She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">REMEMBER, GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. </div></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.</div><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><blockquote style="margin-bottom: 5pt;"><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div><div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; margin-bottom: 12pt;"></div></div></div></div></div><span style="color: #888888;"></span><br /><div style="font-family: times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #888888;"></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-58886847752169363182012-03-28T15:39:00.000+08:002012-03-28T15:41:04.365+08:00I was just thinking of Karen Carpenter...that I had to put this down....an excerpt<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: Arial;"><big style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><big>What happened to Karen Carpenter?<br /><br /> <img style="width: 192px; height: 152px;" alt="" src="http://www.karencarpenter.com/karen_1494star.JPG" /><br /> </big></big> </div> <br style="font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-family: Arial;">The following is an excerpt from Ray Coleman's 1994 biography, <span style="font-style: italic;">'The Carpenters, The Untold Story ', </span>on the 24 hours leading up to her death.</span><br style="font-family: Arial;"> <br style="font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"><big><big> E</big></big>arly in the afternoon of Thursday, February 3, 1983, a distraught Karen was on the phone to Richard from her condominium to his home in Lubec St, Downey. Their mother had just given her a hard time, she said. Karen wanted to plan a weekend with Olivia Newton-John, but her mother's view was that she was not fit enough to be running around as much as she had been doing, and that she should rest. When Richard asked how she felt, Karen admitted that she had been yawning a lot, but said she felt OK. "She was griping about how mom was trying to tell her to do everything, but then mom had said about the visit to Olivia 'So go!'- and that put Karen in a spot".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Karen said, "What am I gonna do?"</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Richard instinctively registered that nothing had changed and that even after treatment, she seemed neither calm nor psychologically improved. "This was the same kind of thing I'd been hearing from Karen for years".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> They spoke about a new video cassette recorder which she needed and then Karen said she would have to decide whether to go to Olivia's home for the weekend or appease mom.<br /> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> Whatever she decided to do for the weekend, she evidently felt she needed to mend fences in Downey first. And so, about two hours after that conversation with Richard, Karen's red Jaguar swept into her parents' driveway without the customary advance phone call to her mother to say she was on her way.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Agnes was surprised but delighted to greet her. It quickly became evident that Karen had a practical, as well as a social, reason for their visit.<br /> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> At her apartment, Karen's washer/dryer had broken and she needed new one, she told Agnes. Most artists of her means would lift the phone for instant delivery, but Karen still preferred what she called "normal" behaviour like this to a pampered life-style. And her practicality never left her. The best place to buy a new washing machine, she told mom, was still Gemco, the general store Karen often described jokingly as "the Gucci of Downey".<br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> And there was another shopping outing on her agenda for the days ahead. Triumphantly telling everyone around her that she had maintained her new weight of 108 pounds, Karen said to her mother that needed a new wardrobe. Those skinny-size dresses- at one stage she was down to anything from a size two to a zero in certain styles- were getting too tight.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Agnes told her that Downey was the wrong place to buy a washing machine since the space reserved for one at her apartment called for a small and vertical model- and Gemco would surely stock only regular sizes. As ever, Karen was not to be deterred. She knew and trusted all those assistants at Gemco, she said. She had known them for many years, and they would order anything for her. Here were two lifelong characteristics of Karen encapsulated into the mundane act of replacing a washing machine: Whenever possible, she sought the security of dealing with people she knew. And she would have her own way.<br /> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> For Agnes Carpenter, her daughter's impromptu visit was welcome enough for she truly doted on her children. It merely brought the problem of what to provide for dinner. The fridge was rather empty that night, and discussing a menu with Karen was not the simplest of tasks. To Agnes's surprise, Karen said she fancied a shrimp salad so why didn't they go to a favourite local chain restaurant, Bob's Big Boy? Harold happily drove them there.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> As he and Agnes enjoyed their chicken they could scarcely absorb the sight of Karen heartily tucking into a particularly huge portion of shrimp salad. Karen asked for an extra portion of salad and tackled that voraciously.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Agnes was both astonished and delighted. After all those years worrying about her daughter's infinitesimal food intake, it was an enormous relief to see her eating enthusiastically. As the plates were cleared, Agnes pondered to herself that the dieting problem may well have been conquered, despite her scepticism.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> In recent weeks, Karen's appetite had veered to spicy foods. Leaving the restaurant, she spotted a taco place next door and asked her parents to wait momentarily while she went inside and bought a take-out meal. "I almost passed out," Agnes says, "I couldn't believe she'd want a taco". Impulsively, Karen continued her upbeat mood when she came back to them, asking if she might have the treat of driving her dad's Cadillac home.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;">That done, she went to the kitchen counter, devoured the spicy taco with hot sauce, and pronounced to her baffled but smiling mother, "Boy, that was good".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> By nine o'clock, Karen seemed tired. She had complained lately by phone to Steven Levenkron of a lack of energy, but as she moved to the living room to rest on the couch, Agnes again thought there was evidence that her appearance had improved.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Her face seemed slightly chubbier, her body more formed, since she had returned three months earlier from that full year of therapy in New York. Agnes had told Richard so, but he disagreed.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> While he acknowledged that she had gained weight, he could not ignore those pouches under her eyes- though she did her best to hide them. "And even now, when I look at the pictures of her in that period, it's clear from her eyes that she was really not well. Now, of course, I wish I had been even more of a bear on her".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Karen and her parents settled down to watch a television favorite, Richard Chamberlain in <span style="font-style: italic;">Shogun</span>. Just after ten, as it ended, Agnes answered the phone. Quietly, she suggested that since Karen seemed tired, perhaps the caller, Frenda Leffler, could phone back the next day. But when Karen heard it was her friend on the line, her soporific position on the couch ended. She jumped up and took the phone, almost reprovingly, from her shielding, well-meaning mother.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Agnes was miffed. She reasoned that Frenda and Karen saw plenty of each other in Beverly Hills. Clearly weary, Karen needed the restorative power of a good night's sleep more than the stimulation of yet another long phone chat.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> A mother's instinct that her daughter needed rest may have been correct, but Karen rarely heeded advice about her health from any quarter, particularly now. She was telling everyone that she had recently devoted a full year to kicking anorexia- and even though she admitted to Frenda that she was seeing spots before her eyes, Karen felt in better shape that when she started on that slippery road seven years earlier.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> She spread her proof of her recovery adroitly: Agnes noted with delight Karen's passion in recent weeks for chilli and prepared cups of it, which Karen took back to her apartment to store in the freezer. What few people knew was that the freezer and refrigerator were invariably empty.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Yet despite simmering fears about her condition by her brother and others, Karen was restructuring her life. "I've got a lot of living to do," she had recently told one friend, Dionne Warwick. Her pride in her appearance was good, and she planned to have her brunette hair streaked blonde. Her career was in renewal, her relationship with her family more stabilized now that those dark days had apparently gone and she had made that effort in New York.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> So it was a contented Karen who turned in for bed eventually, leaving her parents to watch Knots Landing on television. She didn't care for the program so she decided to lie in bed and watch a video of Magnum PI in the room once used by Richard. In recent weeks she had often slept there rather than in her own room, since she enjoyed watching a video and there was no equipment in her bedroom.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Friday morning for Agnes meant a ritualistic visit to her hairdresser. Karen was planning to go and order the new washing machine before driving back to Century City. At 8:45, Agnes rose. As she did so, she heard the sliding rumble of the door to Richard's closet. "Gee, Karen's up," Agnes said to Harold. "I'll go out and start some hot cereal and fix the coffee".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> In the kitchen, Agnes discovered the percolator was hooked up, ready to be switched on- Karen had obviously been down to fix it. Preparing the cereal, Agnes called out "Karen" twice. There was no reply. "I went to the top of the steps, saw the closet door was open, rushed in to the closet, and there she was, face down on the floor. Her eyes were open, but she didn't seem to be breathing". Karen was lying straight, as if she ahd become tired and lay down, only four feet from the bathrobe she was clearly heading for. She had not hit anything in going to the floor.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;">Agnes screamed for Harold and Florine Elie, their house-keeper, to call the paramedics and an ambulance. They dialled 911. Then Agnes called Richard, who lived two miles away.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Morning was never a time to phone the home of night-owl Richard Carpenter. He was asleep when the 8:55am call from his hysterical-sounding mother jolted him. "Karen.... I found her on the floor...I tried to get her up, called her name....Her eyes had rolled back.....We called the ambulance". As his mom's words tumbled out, Richard feared the worst.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Slipping on his contact lenses, jeans and a T-shirt, he raced his black Jaguar through the overcast Downey streets. With his fast, immaculate driving, it was a mere five-minute trip but long enough for an avalanche of emotions to torment this normally phlegmatic, pragmatic man.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;">Hoping against the odds that she simply collapsed, he said to himself as he drove: "I knew this was gonna happen. I knew she didn't look well. Maybe she's just in a bad way; she was weak; maybe they can revive her; maybe this will finally drive home to her just how serious her health problem is". Alone, he had maintained that even after that year of therapy, she was not right. Deep down, he just knew his sister was dead.</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> Rounding the corner into Newville Avenue, he saw a fire truck, then an ambulance. He began to cry. He raced into the house, but Karen and her mother had already been put into the ambulance. A fireman, noting Richard's distraught state, advised him to drive very carefully if he planned to follow the ambulance. At Downey Community Hospital, he joined his parents in a conference room while surgeons tried resuscitation. The news came after twenty minutes when a doctor walked in to say, "I'm sorry, but Karen is dead".</span><br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <br style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-family: Arial;"> It was February 4, 1983. Agnes and Harold wept, but Richard was overtaken with numbness and anger. Glorious years, raging frustration, and embattled times with his sister and partner had ended in appalling tragedy. His main feeling was silent fury at being robbed. The tears would flow later.<br /> <br /> <br /> </span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><img style="width: 451px; height: 338px;" alt="" src="http://www.karencarpenter.com/passing26.jpg" /></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-65869704486824022282012-03-21T10:50:00.003+08:002012-03-21T11:35:59.714+08:00Slurs...<p>Racial slurs during football matches...from fans to players and from players to players. The FAs are now hauling up those guilty or accused as guilty, like Suarez, and hammering them with huge fines and suspensions.<br /></p><p> Don’t you think that’s taking it a bit too far? Let’s look at some other unacceptable behaviours. Take theft: to qualify as a thief, you have to first intend to steal something (in law they call this mens rea, which is Latin roughly for ‘criminal intent’ – literally it means ‘evil mind’). So a baby can’t steal something from a shop even if it grabs that lollipop and carries it through the checkout under its blanket. Likewise, there are mens rea-type tests for the commission of other offences.</p> <p>Take Stephanie Rice, 3 time Olympic swimming gold medalists in 2008. If we take that test and apply it to her faggot slur on her tweeter after Aussies Wallabies defeated the Springboks, ‘f-tweet’, it’s not at all homophobic. Did she intend to offend homosexuals with that tweet? Almost certainly not. Did she intend to dismiss the Springboks as losers? Almost certainly. She’s 22. And an athlete. A champion. I’m tipping it’s no cakewalk being a Olympic-champion swimmer.<br /></p><p>Not too much sitting around in circles singing kum-bah-ya and holding hands. Lots of toughing it out, and lots of being tough on yourself, as well as developing somewhat thick skin. Being able to dish it out, and take it. Being schooled continuously that victory for Australia is everything. The rules are clearly different for celebrities, but I wonder how many people in this country did many things they consider to be worse than use the word ‘faggot’ ill-advisedly between the ages of 18 and 24? I know I did.</p><p>“Suck on that, faggots,” (note the comma, Steph), 'you negritos', you yellow cultured etc etc' are the kinds of thing that gets shouted out at football matches right across the country every weekend. You might not like it, but it’s just the way things are. It’s a slur, sure, but let’s all grow thick skin here. Sticks and stones, surely. You can bet some hyper-anti this anti-that fans, players or high-profile celebs or brand ambassadors tweeting “Suck on that, breeders” would still becoming to football matches week in week out.</p><p>Excerpts from By <span class="author">John Cadogan...caradvise.com</span> </p><p><br /></p>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-7076797285290832882012-01-04T13:58:00.001+11:002012-01-04T13:58:34.436+11:00<span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20000;"><b>Nobody wants to become a teacher BY CHOICE" ....Very sad but that's the truth.....!!!</b></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#008250;"><br /><br />The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.<br />One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued,<br />"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:red;"><br /><br />To stress his point he said to another guest;<br />"You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"<br /><br />Teacher Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,<br />"You want to know what I make?<br />(She paused for a second, then began...)</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"><br /><br />"Well, I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> kids work harder than they ever thought they could.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't<br />make them sit for 5 min. without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.<br /><br />You want to know what I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;">?<br />(She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> kids wonder.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20000;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them question.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them apologize and mean it.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20000;">teach</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them how to write and then I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them write.<br />Keyboarding isn't everything.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them read, read, read.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them show all their work in math. <br />They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> my students from other countries learn everything they need <br />to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.<br /><br />I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.<br /><br />Finally, I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;"> them understand that if they use the gifts they<br />were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life<br /><br />(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)<br /><br />Then, when people try to judge me by what I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;">, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#424282;">?</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#e26200;"><br /><br />I</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#c20041;"> MAKE</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#e26200;"> A DIFFERENCE IN ALL YOUR LIVES,EDUCATING KIDS AND PREPARING THEM TO BECOME CEO's ,AND DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS....<span style="color:#008250;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#008250;">What do you </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#8100ff;">make</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#008250;"> Mr. CEO?</span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#e26200;"><br /><br />His jaw dropped; he went silent.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-4458316130084000582011-08-17T10:40:00.000+08:002011-08-17T10:41:58.236+08:00I was shocked, confused, bewildered
<br />As I entered Heaven's door,
<br />Not by the beauty of it all,
<br />Nor the lights or its decor.
<br />
<br />But it was the folks in Heaven
<br />Who made me sputter and gasp--
<br />The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
<br />The alcoholics and the trash.
<br />
<br />There stood the kid from seventh grade
<br />Who swiped my lunch money twice.
<br />Next to him was my old neighbor
<br />Who never said anything nice.
<br />
<br />Bob, who I always thought
<br />Was rotting away in hell,
<br />Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
<br />Looking incredibly well.
<br />
<br />I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
<br />I would love to hear Your take.
<br />How'd all these sinners get up here?
<br />God must've made a mistake.
<br />
<br />'And why is everyone so quiet,
<br />So somber - give me a clue.'
<br />'Hush, child,' He said,
<br />'they're all in shock.
<br />No one thought they'd be seeing you.'
<br />
<br />JUDGE NOT!!
<br />
<br />Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
<br />Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
<br />
<br />Every saint has a PAST...
<br />Every sinner has a FUTURE!
<br />
<br />tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-5351235159315338652011-07-27T11:27:00.003+08:002011-08-12T10:15:38.804+08:00The clock struck; it was also a slow walk into the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">arboretum</span>.
<br />My solace place during my student days.
<br />The sound of the clock chyme is as audible as it was 30 years ago.
<br />Images flashes by. Moments to ponder.
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">But the times, they are a changing.</span>
<br />
<br />tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-84466573043447850452011-06-07T09:10:00.000+08:002011-06-07T09:11:10.574+08:00From my Favourite Guru, Words of Wisdom<span style="color:#666666;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102);">Change Begins With Choice by Jim Rohn</span></strong></span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px;"> </span> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.</span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px;"> </span> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.</span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px;"> </span> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.</span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px;"> </span> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.</span></p> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: times new roman; font-size: 16px;"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: tahoma; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: navy;">To Your Success,<br /> Jim Rohn</span></b></span></p></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-48182226784730288612011-05-19T09:52:00.000+08:002011-05-19T09:55:27.154+08:00<b><span class="tsArticleHeadline" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;">No place in society for those who sow seeds of hatred</span></b><br /> <i><span class="tsArticleByline" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:78%;">R. Nadeswaran</span></i><br /> <p><strong>THE</strong> hallowed corridors of the renowned Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford University have been the scene of the entry of many luminaries <span style="font-weight: bold;">whose speeches elucidated its audience. </span></p> <p>Monday was no different when <span style="font-weight: bold;">Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak delivered his address</span>. The packed hall had students, academicians, diplomats, businessmen both local and Malaysian, and even a disgraced politician.</p> <p>Najib’s speech on moderation, peppered with quotes from the Quran, the Torah and even the Bible, went on to outline Malaysia’s success as a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. </p> <p>He said: “In managing our plurality, we have decided on integration as opposed to assimilation. Malaysians accept their diversity. We do not merely tolerate each other but we also embrace and celebrate. By leveraging the robustness and dynamism of our diversity, we have created a foundation for our national resilience.”<br /><br />Touching on Islam and extremism, he said the solution lies in not for more Muslims to speak up but for the entire world to stand up. </p> <p>“Just as Muslims need to make their voices heard, so do the Christians, the Jews, the Buddhists, the Hindus and the atheists who are sickened by intolerance, violence and terror and need to make their voices heard. We need to hear the concerted voices from moderates in all countries and from all walks of life. And when we do, the prize of peace is there for all to see.”</p> <p>This was not the first time Najib had called for the voices of the moderates to drown out those of the extremists. At the United Nations in September last year, he called for a Global Movement of the Moderates that would see government, intellectuals, religious scholars and business leaders across the world take a united stand – a the spirit of moderation or balance.</p> <p>Malaysians sitting in the audience must have been left wondering as to why their leader’s philosophies and ideals are not enshrined in the minds and hearts of some politicians back home. </p> <p>If the PM is an advocate of moderation, tolerance and acceptance, why have the voices of extremism overpowered and threatened what we have done and achieved over the past 50 years?</p> <p>Are certain elements deliberately defying the PM? Are certain individuals in disagreement with the PM by covertly and overtly supporting the voices of extremism? While the PM has the support of the majority, is the PM walking alone in his bid for religious and racial harmony?</p> <p>From afar and from reading what is happening, there has been unnecessary tension based on hearsay, half-truths and lies. Hatred is being spewed without basis and the minds of Malaysians of races are being clouded by uncalled for claims, allegations and statements. </p> <p>In the buses plying in certain suburbs of London there are posters stating “Hate Hurts”. It is a constant reminder that hatred based on race, religion, colour, creed or gender is totally unacceptable.</p> <p><strong>Tolerance</strong></p> <p>Najib quoted Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in a prison in Staten Island. When asked how he got through that period (most of which was in solitary confinement), the anti-apartheid campaigner declared: “I would like to be bitter, but there is no time to be bitter. There is work to be done…”</p> <p>Every right-thinking Malaysian will embrace the PM’s wisdom and prophetic words on moderation, tolerance and acceptance. </p> <p>He concluded his speech with these words: “Our choice is clear. Come together in action for a future of justice, freedom, hope, compassion and goodwill for our children or it will be replaced by a future of injustice, tyranny, hopelessness, cruelty and hate. </p> <p>“Because the real divide is not between East and West or between the developed and developing worlds or even between Muslims and non-Muslims. </p> <p>“It is between moderates and extremists of all religions. Together, let us embrace moderation as the best course of action and for the best way forward.”</p> <p>Will all those seeking fame and glory by flaming the fire of hatred in the hope of occupying the seats of power listen to the clarion call for some semblance of temperance? </p> <p>Can those who in the past had made idiotic, unacceptable and deplorable statements for selfish purposes keep their mouths shut? Will those who were involved in acts aimed at provoking peace-loving Malaysians end their charades? </p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Everyone wants a harmonious Malaysia. Those who have sowed the seeds of hatred and abhorrence have no place in society, and that in a nutshell was the PM’s message to the world, especially his fellow Malaysians.</p> <p> </p>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-85654977980461846912011-05-04T15:10:00.000+08:002011-05-04T15:11:26.297+08:00What a Fucking Town.<span style="color: navy; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12fb9c97193a6d0c&amp;attid=0.2&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=b11c5386a2a4b5e6_0.1&amp;zw" width="280" height="382" /><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12fb9c97193a6d0c&amp;attid=0.3&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=b11c5386a2a4b5e6_0.2&amp;zw" width="405" height="320" /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br />Are the residents called Fuckers?<span> </span><br /><br />And what about the Fucking neighborhood?<span> </span><br /><br />What are the mothers called?<span> </span><br /><br />What would you be learning at the Fucking High School ?<span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />Where is the Fucking Post Office?<span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />Does the Fucking Hospital help you with anything else?<span> </span><br /><br />And the Fucking drivers!<span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />If your friend came from another town, he wouldn't be your Fucking friend.<span> </span><br /><br />Is fishing allowed in the Fucking Lake ?<span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />We had a wonderful time at Fucking. <span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />We stayed in a Fucking chalet!<span> </span><br /><br />Fucking needs government funding. <span> </span><br /> <span> </span><br />Does anyone care about Fucking?<span> </span><br /><br /></span><span style="color: navy; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12fb9c97193a6d0c&amp;attid=0.4&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=b11c5386a2a4b5e6_0.3&amp;zw" width="597" height="396" /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12fb9c97193a6d0c&amp;attid=0.1&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=b11c5386a2a4b5e6_0.4&amp;zw" width="389" height="247" /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;"><br />Now, this one is really good! The sign says ' Bitte! Nicht so schnell', which in English translates to ' Please! Not so fast!<span> </span><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12fb9c97193a6d0c&amp;attid=0.5&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=b11c5386a2a4b5e6_0.5&amp;zw" width="347" height="493" /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;"><br />Pronounced 'fooking'. The little hamlet of Fucking is named after the man who founded the</span><span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">village in the 6th century. His name? Focko.</span><span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><br /> <span><br /></span></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-83060618860342992982011-04-21T16:08:00.000+08:002011-04-21T16:09:06.095+08:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY by Jim Rohn.</span><br /><br />Don't become a victim of yourself. Forget about the thief waiting in the alley; what about the thief in your mind?<br /><br />It is not what happens that determines the major part of your future. What happens, happens to us all. It is what you do about what happens that counts.<br /><br />You say, "The country is messed up." That's like cursing the soil and the seed and the sunshine and the rain, which is all you've got. Don't curse all you've got. When you get your own planet, you can rearrange this whole deal. This one you've got to take like it comes.<br /><br />Walk away from the 97% crowd. Don't use their excuses. Take charge of your own life.<br /><br />Take advice, but not orders. Only give yourself orders. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Since I will be no one's slave, I will be no one's master."<br /><br />You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. You don't have charge of the constellations, but you do have charge of whether you read, develop new skills, and take new classes.<br /><br />Your paycheck is not your employer's responsibility; it's your responsibility. Your employer has no control over your value, but you do.tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-77420531205280977982011-04-05T09:39:00.002+08:002011-04-05T09:46:46.516+08:00JUST STAY<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.<br /> "Your son is here," she said to the old man.<br />She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's<br />eyes opened.<br />Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he<br />dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen<br /> tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened<br /> fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of<br /> love and encouragement.<br />The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside<br /> the bed.All through the night the young Marine sat there in the<br /> poorly lightedward, holding the old man's hand and offering him<br /> words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested<br /> that the Marine move away and rest awhile.<br /> He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine<br /> was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital -<br /> the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff<br /> members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other<br /> patients.<br />Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man<br />said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the<br />night.<br />Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the<br />now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the<br />nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.<br />Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy,<br />but the Marine interrupted her.<br />"Who was that man?" he asked.<br />The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.<br />"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in<br /> my life."<br />"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"<br />"I knew right away there had been a mistake,<br />but I also knew he needed his son, and his<br />son just wasn't here.<br />When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I<br />was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."<br />I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.<br />His son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him.<br />What was this Gentleman's Name?<br />The Nurse with Tears in<br />Her Eyes Answered,<br />Mr. William Grey.............<br />The next time someone needs you ... just be there. <br />Stay.<br /><br />*<span style="font-style: italic;">GOT THIS IN MY E-MAIL THIS MORNING</span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-89860323368089751012011-03-09T15:00:00.000+08:002011-03-09T15:01:59.773+08:00Shirley & Marcy<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&amp;ik=b4a457ef19&amp;view=att&amp;th=12e9821e7de586ea&amp;attid=0.1&amp;disp=emb&amp;zw" width="360" height="460" /><b><br /><br /></b><br />A mother was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school.<br />He didn't want his mother to walk with him.<br />She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe.<br />So she had an idea of how to handle it.<br />She asked a neighbour if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance,<br />So he probably wouldn't notice her. <br />She said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.<br />The next school day, the neighbour and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbour girl he knew.<br />She did this for the whole week.<br /><br />As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, <br />Timmy 's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week.<br />Finally she said to Timmy ,<br />'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?'<br />Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.'<br />The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?'<br />'That's just Shirley Goodnest ,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy .'<br />' Shirley Goodnest ? Who is she and why is she following us?<br />'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mum makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much.<br />And in the Psalm, it says, ' Shirley Goodnest (surely goodness ) and Marcy (mercy) shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!' <i><br /><br />The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace.</i> <i><br /><br />May<b> Shirley Goodnest</b> and<b> Marcy</b> be with you today and always</i> <i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-12140872679205737342010-12-27T15:21:00.001+08:002010-12-27T15:24:06.150+08:00History has proven, on countless occasions that;<br />*the majority is always wrong and<br />*the second son always gets the father's approval.<br /><br />If you find yourself on the side of the majority, its time to reform.tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-77738527709178370792010-12-22T14:41:00.002+08:002010-12-22T14:58:50.172+08:00It can be dangerous to weaken the strong in our attempts to strengthen the weak.<br /><br />One of the great liberal documents of the world is the Declaration of Independence.<br />One of the great conservative documents of the world is the Constitution of the United States.<br /><br />We need both documents to build a country. One to get it started, Liberal. The other to help maintain it's structure over the years, Conservative.<br /><br />The real genius to make a marketplace flourish doesn't come from the government. It comes from the individual genius of its people.<br /><br />Beware of those who seek to take care of you lest your caretakers become your jailers.<br /><br />An ancient script asks, "Would you let a man rule the city who cannot even rule his own spirit?"<br /><br />Sometimes we do.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">By Jim Rohn</span><strong></strong><strong><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;"></span></strong><strong><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;"></span></strong><span style="color:#666666;"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: purple; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></strong></p></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-80405699206645223942010-11-18T09:04:00.001+08:002010-11-18T09:06:46.080+08:00<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Life is too short for drama &amp; petty things, so laugh hard,<br />love truly and forgive quickly. Live While You Are Alive. Forgive now those<br />who made you cry You might not get a second chance.<br />May you reach for your dreams and always<br />remember to be proud of who you are.<br />Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is probably fighting<br />some kind of battle.</span></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-44482406475871882172010-11-02T10:41:00.003+08:002010-11-02T10:50:04.910+08:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >The article below was taken from Zorro's blog. When I read it, it brought back memories of the days gone by. I stopped for a moment and reflected on my childhood days in Sentul. No more, no more, those are gone, gone into the past.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Of course Zorro was my school teacher and his antics and fiery teaching methods will be questionable today and so is Francis Sta Maria, a real sadist to the core. Do we complain? You bet not for if we did, more retribution will follow from our parents cos those days, the teachers' word is law.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Read the article below by Tan Sri Sulaiman...and folks if we can't live those days today, at least stop and give thanks that we once did live the good life we talk of and hope for ...today.<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Read:<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Malaysian Red Crescent’s national chairman Tan Sri Tunku Shahriman Tunku Sulaiman misses the good old days when Malaysians were more tolerant, less sensitive and had a sense of humour. The septuagenarian shares his experiences with Sunday Star readers.</span></b><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >One influential figure in my life was my Science teacher Mr Gan Boon Guan in Tuanku Muhammad School, Kuala Pilah. It was 1952, the year I sat for my Cambridge School Certificate Examination.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >The odd thing is that although I do not really like Science all that much, Mr Gan has a special place in a line of people who have been guides through my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >While small in stature, he was a strict disciplinarian. Even mention of his name then sent shivers through us students. As far as he was concerned, we didn’t study hard enough, we didn’t concentrate, we were too slow or we talked too much.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >He would call students to the front of the class to write the answers to his questions on the blackboard. If one failed to give the right answer, Mr Gan would not hesitate to kick his buttocks or give him a good bullocking. Some of his criticisms were so harsh they would today be deemed perilously close to being racist.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Another teacher who comes to mind was my English teacher Mr Ponniah who had an eccentric way of teaching us. While he saw it as his right to spend the majority of lesson time reading newspapers in front of the class, he nevertheless expected us to give full attention to the work he gave us.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >If he thought any of us boys were not concentrating hard enough, a loud bark would immediately be heard from behind the newspaper and the culprit would inevitably feel the back of Mr Ponniah’s open hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >But somehow, none of us boys were ever offended by the actions of these teachers. We accepted the punishments in the spirit they were meant to be given – a way to get 50 boisterous boys, some from extremely impoverished backgrounds, to make something of our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >They were successful, too; students from our year got the highest number of Grade One in the school’s history.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Today, I feel there is a big difference between the young and old – in their values, attitudes and behaviours.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >As a whole, I feel my generation was less critical or condemnatory of others compared to the young today. We were less sensitive and ironically – considering our lack of exposure to the larger world – more tolerant and open-minded.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Take the way we viewed Tuan Syed Jong who taught us Malay and was also in charge of the school’s hostel. Known for his elegant handwriting, especially in the Jawi script, Tuan Syed didn’t have Mr Gan’s acerbic tongue nor Mr Ponniah’s quick ways with his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Instead, his weakness was his habit of spending his nights playing<i>mahjong</i> with his Chinese friends in a coffee shop across the road from our school.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >None of us students or the Malays living in the surrounding kampung condemned him for his choice of entertainment. While it is against Islamic teachings to gamble, we felt it was not our place to be righteous or moralistic.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >In the same way, we did not make a big issue of Mr Gan’s and Mr Ponniah’s less than sophisticated methods of teaching us, we didn’t raise a ruckus about Tuan Syed’s <i>mahjong</i>-playing because we felt what he did in his own time was none of our business. I am not sure Malaysian youths today would be so tolerant.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >For instance, I wonder if today’s young people would be offended by shouts of “balik kampung” during Orientation Week as I was (shouted at) by senior Chinese and Indian students when I started university in 1954 at the now National University of Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Or would they, like me, be able to recognise the difference between making racist or religious remarks to deliberately hurt some innocent person and the sort of good-natured rowdy jibes common place in any educational place.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >It would be a shame if they couldn’t because all of us, seniors and juniors – Malay, Chinese and Indians – remain good friends till today.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Such is the paranoia over issues like religion and race, and such is the grip of the politically correct agenda on everyday Malaysian life today, I sense many of our young cannot tell the difference between an abusive insult and an innocent joke. And quite frankly, I feel sorry for them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >It is, of course, entirely right that there are laws against religious or racial abuse but the crucial word in that phrase is “abuse”. Referring to a person’s colour or religious beliefs does not, in all circumstances, have to be abusive.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >With that in mind, I would like to mention that when I first started work as deputy assistant district officer of Larut and Matang in Taiping in 1958, my three closest friends were Shanmugam, a Public Works Department technician, Dr Lai Mun Seng, a medical officer, and Lim, the son of a jewellery shop owner.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >We used to spend time after office hours together and one of the places we would frequent was the one and only nightclub in Taiping, the lively and popular D’ Paradise.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >In fact during my time, a licence was even approved for a striptease show headlined by the famous strip dancer Rose Chan.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >I am glad to say no demonstrations were held in front of our district office nor was there a demand for me to be transferred out from the district at that time!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.25pt; line-height: 15.75pt;"><span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >I last heard Shanmugam’s daughter is a graduate teacher married to a lawyer while his son is also a lawyer, married to another lawyer. Lai has retired and now resides in Teluk Intan after many years working as a doctor. Unfortunately, we have all lost track of Lim.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:&quot;;font-size:14pt;" >Apart from wishing them and their family happiness and good health, my greatest hope is that like me, Shanmugam, Lai and Lim have managed to pass the message of tolerance, humour and open-mindedness that we shared to their own children and they in turn, to theirs</span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-7466797505922373762010-10-25T15:38:00.000+08:002010-10-25T15:41:08.479+08:00<span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">The local newspaper classified department telephone operator received a phone call. A woman on the other end asked, "How much do obiturary notices cost?"<br /><br />"$5.00 per word, Ma'am," came the response. <br /><br />"Good, do you have a paper and pencil handy?"<br /><br />"Yes, Ma'am."<br /> <br />"OK, write this: 'Fred died.'<br /><br />"I'm sorry, Ma'am; I forgot to tell you there's a five-word minimum."<br /><br />"Hmmph," came the reply, "You certainly did forget to tell me that." A moment of silence. "Got your pencil and paper?"<br /><br />"Yes, Ma'am." <br /><br />"OK, print this: 'Fred died, Cadillac for sale.' "</span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-4536102036717407492010-10-05T17:15:00.001+08:002010-10-05T17:15:43.410+08:00<span style="font-size:130%;">Determination and perseverance move the world.<br />These are exactly what's moving the Naza Group.<br /></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6427866861768009189.post-56973230772555057512010-10-04T08:46:00.005+08:002010-10-05T17:17:04.128+08:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:8pt;" ><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style=";font-size:24pt;color:navy;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" >Here's the Law of Expanded Association.....<br />SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. AND WHO ARE THESE RIGHT PEOPLE? That depends on your goals and objectives. But generally look for people of substance and culture - people who spend time reflecting on the meaning of life and who accomplish great things through discipline and perseverance.<br /></span><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span>tony -stand-up philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113883769941368315noreply@blogger.com0